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New HRC Report on Experiences of LGBT Youth Links Being Out to Happiness, Other Positive Life Factor

National Coming Out Day report finds openly LGBT youth happier, rely on peers for support yet serious obstacles remain to coming out

WASHINGTON – Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who are out to their immediate family or at school report higher levels of happiness, optimism, acceptance and support, according to a new report on LGBT youth released today, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) by the Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. The report further analyzes the results of a groundbreaking survey of over 10,000 LGBT-identified young people, first released this summer in a report titled “Growing Up LGBT in America.”

The National Coming Out Day report shows that 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (91 percent) across this country are out to their close friends while youth are less likely to be out to immediate family (56 percent) and at school (61 percent).

“The good news is that unlike previous generations, many of today’s LGBT youth have someone in their life with whom they can be themselves,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “It is strikingly clear, however, that adults must do better in supporting LGBT youth who still fear family rejection, being judged and ostracized in school, rejected from their religious congregations and the broader community.”

The report also finds youth who are not out often face additional stressors and are more likely to be cut off from key forms of support including adults in their family or community to talk to and support organizations at school. Half of LGBT youth, both out and not, participate in online communities that address LGBT youth issues.

Among the report’s key findings:

Among youth who are not out to their family, the most frequent obstacle they describe is that their family is not accepting or homo/bi/transphobic;

Among youth who are not out at school, the most frequent obstacle they describe is that teachers or classmates will treat them differently or judge them;

Nearly half (47 percent) of LGBT youth who are not out to their immediate family say they do not have an adult in their family they could talk to if they were sad, a quarter (25 percent) of youth who are out say the same;

Among religious-identified LGBT youth who attend services regularly, only 19 percent are out within their congregation and a mere 11 percent are out to their clergy

“We know that LGBT youth who are out and accepted by even a handful of close friends or family are happier, and everyone has a role in creating an environment in which youth feel safe and comfortable being themselves,” said Ellen Kahn, director of the HRC Family Project and a professional social worker. “Today we should all consider what more we can be doing – from the conversations we have at the kitchen table or in the workplace, to comments made by national leaders in the media.”

This report, the second in a series of efforts to analyze the landscape for LGBT youth, includes a call to action for LGBT youth, their peers, parents, teachers, elected officials and religious leaders.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Contact HRC

Phone: (202) 628-4160
Fax: (202) 347-5323

To contact HRC please visit our contact us page. If you are a member of the media, you can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.

5 Things to Know about LGBTQ Issues

1. There are roughly 10 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S., or roughly 4.1 percent of the population.

2. Sixteen percent of same-sex couples are raising children according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011 Current Population Survey.

3. There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBTQ individuals from employment discrimination; there are no state laws in 28 states that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 30 states that do so based on gender identity.

4. More than 50 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in 19 state legislatures in the 2017 state legislative session.

5. The FBI reported 1,167 hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2015. This is likely a dramatic undercount since thousands of agencies didn't submit any data and reporting is not mandatory.